Perth - Asians
 

Due to leave for Perth in a few months and I'm interested to know how racially tolerant/multicultural the city is. I gather that the place has lots of Brits - which (I know this is contentious!!), for me, is helpful. (I'm getting nervous just typing!) But my wife is SE Asian and we do have slight concerns about attitudes towards ethnic minorities whose skin isn't white. Certainly when we've visited before, we've only encountered positives but a holiday is not the same as living there.
I'm not really interested in the one-off stories of abuse/intolerance - you can find those wherever you go in the world - it's more the general attitude.
I understand that the question is difficult to answer if you do not have Asian friends or family but I'd be interested in views - and in this case I do prefer the generalisations!
Secondly, how much of an Asian 'scene' is there? Besides restaurants, is Perth really multicultural or is it essentially a white city with the odd ghetto?

Re: Perth - Asians
 

Can't answer your question personally (I haven't yet been to Perth) but would like to wish you & your wife the very best of luck with the move.

Certainly here in Melbourne, people of all colors & beliefs are accepted & made welcome - which means we have a very well-integrated city, as well as a fantastic range of ethnic restaurants! ;)

Cheers,
Anya.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

I am particulary interested in this also. My wife and I are born and raised as brits but have parents that come from India. We have been in Houston for the last 7 years and are ready to move on as its not really the kind of place we want to settle. I just accepted a job in Perth and will be going out there in April. Heard only good things from people but never heard from any asians who have lived there for some time.

I have had my fair share of people with 'non-tolerant' opionions about people of colour in both the UK and the US, its one of those things that will always be around. I think it only get to be a problem when your faced with it all the time, either directly or indirectly. Like I said, I have an open mind about such issues and am not too concerned based on what I have heard about Perth, but would love to hear others opinion.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

Same in Sydney, only more so. Sydney does everything better than Melbourne. And don't think it's confined to restaurants. There are the fruit shops, the butchers, the sea food shops, the newsagents, the bakers, the dentists, the doctors, the lawyers, the schoolkids everywhere and the commuters pouring off on the trains. I could go on. And my neighbours in a long established traditional Aussie suburb. One doesn't "notice" SE Asians anymore, merely the absences of traditional Aussies.

I couldn't be bothered going to SE Asia for an "Asian experience", it's on my doorstep!

In short, come on down. Choose your suburb and you'll feel right at home. A colleague, orginally from KH went back for a holiday and couldn't wait to "come home" to Sydney.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

Banksia - I kind of thought that Sydney (and Melbourne also to a certain extent Anya) would be a real melting point - it's just that Perth is so isolated from the rest of Australia, a real pioneer place and yet so close to Asia - I hope that the situation there is a mirror of Sydney but I'd like some affirmation! Thanks for te replies thus far.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

Obviously 'melting pot'! Funny how you can get quite self-conscious about your typos.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

read this link:

www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/591/591p4.htm

Re: Perth - Asians
 

Man, that is seriously F'd up, very uncool.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

I wouldn't worry - I don't think your wife will feel like she is part of an ethnic minority in the centre of Perth.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

'Melting point' - you've been here on one of our really hot days, then...?

;)

Anya.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

My Chinese co-worker avoids situations where he is likely to come in to contact with large groups of drunken bogons (white trash Aussies) as he feels that he would be racially abused. Skyworks is a prime example.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

One of my best mates is Thai and living in central Perth, which she loves. She's got Indian, Italian, Greek and Aussie friends now. I think she found England to be more racist, but it was more an underlying thing... people wouldn't insult her to her face but they just weren't that friendly / accepting and didn't include her.
The Northern Burbs are more "white" Aussie/ Brits/ Irish/ South African but I don't know about any ethnic tensions.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

Forgive me, but what is 'skyworks'?

Any Sikh posters out there? Anyone know where most of the Sikh community lives in Perth?

Thanks.

Re: Perth - Asians
 

In the late 1980's in Perth there was a guy called JAck Van Tongeren who lead a gang of neo nazis that were involved in a wave of racist violence against Asians and tried to drive Asians out of the state. He was jailed for 12 years. The funny thing was he was part Asian himself.
REad the link below:

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...E1702%2C00.htm

Re: Perth - Asians
 

What a tosser.... :mad: